Scan barcode
A review by jazzeeazz
Memorial by Bryan Washington
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
WOW.
This book blew me away without it being challenging to read. One warning is that dialogue is not in quotations, which bothered some people apparently, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment at all.
Fully recommend, it’s amazing.
The only points off were for the ambiguous ending. I love a good ambiguous ending, but it felt very out of place in this book.
But, with this ambiguous ending, I get to choose to believe what happens.
And I choose to believe they end up together.
I’M NOT JUST BEING A ROMANTIC, I THINK IT FITS THE STORY.
Ben is so obviously the main character; the book starts and ends with his perspective, which basically forces the readers to side with Ben.
Ben’s journey/development is also so fluid, whereas Mike’s is contained in his perspective. That’s why we go back to Ben, but not Mike.
I FUCKING LOVE MITSUKO SO MUCH.
Her relationship with Ben was so perfect, and HER LESSON UGH.
Mitsuko reaching Ben that he can take charge of the things he wants, which he never did because things were always happening TO him. But he continuously ALLOWED things to happen to him, where he never said what he wanted (with Mike, with his family).
And then he stood up in front of his family.
Okay that was a lot of building evidence is this a literary analysis?
But THERFORE, the path that Ben stepped on once he did that would be one where he just tells Mike what he wants (FOR ONCE!).
That section was a lot of rambling
A raw, relatable, and ceiling-breaking portrayal of an adult mlm relationship, as well as those relationships we have with our parents.
LOVE.
This book blew me away without it being challenging to read. One warning is that dialogue is not in quotations, which bothered some people apparently, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment at all.
Fully recommend, it’s amazing.
The only points off were for the ambiguous ending. I love a good ambiguous ending, but it felt very out of place in this book.
But, with this ambiguous ending, I get to choose to believe what happens.
I’M NOT JUST BEING A ROMANTIC, I THINK IT FITS THE STORY.
Ben is so obviously the main character; the book starts and ends with his perspective, which basically forces the readers to side with Ben.
Ben’s journey/development is also so fluid, whereas Mike’s is contained in his perspective. That’s why we go back to Ben, but not Mike.
I FUCKING LOVE MITSUKO SO MUCH.
Her relationship with Ben was so perfect, and HER LESSON UGH.
Mitsuko reaching Ben that he can take charge of the things he wants, which he never did because things were always happening TO him. But he continuously ALLOWED things to happen to him, where he never said what he wanted (with Mike, with his family).
And then he stood up in front of his family.
Okay that was a lot of building evidence is this a literary analysis?
But THERFORE, the path that Ben stepped on once he did that would be one where he just tells Mike what he wants (FOR ONCE!).
That section was a lot of rambling
A raw, relatable, and ceiling-breaking portrayal of an adult mlm relationship, as well as those relationships we have with our parents.
LOVE.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content